The prior art is replete with numerous examples of various valves or other assemblies which have been utilized to meter small amounts of fluid to a young child or an infant in order to properly teach them how to drink from a cup or other drinking vessel. Still further, the prior art is replete with numerous valving arrangements which substantially seals a cup or drinking vessel in the event that the drinking vessel is overturned by the child or infant, but which is operable to permit the flow of fluid into the infant or child's mouth when the child properly sucks upon the drinking vessel.
While the various arrangements found in the prior art have worked with varying degrees of success, as a general matter, none of the known arrangements have provided a convenient means whereby a parent or guardian may conveniently adjust the volumetric flow of the fluid provided by a drinking vessel to an infant or a child as the child progressively masters the technique of drinking on their own.
Therefore, a fluid dispensing valve which avoids the determents associated with the prior art devices and arrangements utilized heretofore is the subject matter of the present application.